Catherine of Alençon
Encyclopedia
Catherine d'Alençon was a younger daughter of Peter II of Alençon
and his wife Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine. Catherine was the second wife of Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria
. Catherine was also maid of honour to Louis' sister, Isabeau of Bavaria
.
against Henry V of England
. Catherine married in 1411 to the 30 year old Peter of Évreux, Count of Mortain. Peter was a brother of Charles III of Navarre
. After only one year of marriage, Peter died, the marriage produced no children.
One year after Peter's death, Catherine was betrothed again to Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria
, brother of Isabeau, Queen of France
. The wedding, however, had to be postponed, as Catherine's future husband was taken prisoner. The wedding took place on Louis' release in early October 1413. Catherine's Dowry covered not only the county of Mortain, 60,000 francs but it also created connections between Bavaria
and France.
Louis travelled in early 1415 as head of the French embassy to the Council of Constance
. Catherine's husband gave the County of Mortain, from Catherine's dowry to John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy
, to free his wife, during the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War
in 1417, she had been taken prisoner by Bernard VII of Armagnac and did not care for their financial supply.
Catherine lost all of their income by Henry V
's successful invasion. Henry took the county of Mortain and occupied their heritages in Normandy
. Even precious utensils, documents and account books were taken by the English. Help finally came not from her husband, but from the English king, who made an agreement with the French King, the Treaty of Troyes
, which gave Catherine 2000 francs per year as compensation for her losses. In 1421 Catherine even travelled to England, as lady-in-waiting to the wife of the King Henry, Catherine of Valois
, who was Catherine's niece. Catherine even assisted in the birth of their child, Henry VI of England
.
Catherine's second husband, Louis died on 1 May 1447 at Burghausen
.
Catherine joined the household of her sister-in-law, Isabeau. Catherine died 1462 in Paris and was buried in the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. She is now buried next to her first husband, Peter.
Catherine left no surviving children.
Peter II of Alençon
Peter II of Alençon, called the Noble , was the son of Charles II of Alençon and Maria de la Cerda. He was Count of Alençon 1361–1404 and Count of Perche 1377–1404....
and his wife Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine. Catherine was the second wife of Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria
Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis VII of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt from 1413 until 1443. He was a son of Stephen III and Taddea Visconti.-Biography:...
. Catherine was also maid of honour to Louis' sister, Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
.
Life
Catherine came from a branch of the French royal family, House of Valois, her family were known as The House of Valois-Alençon. Her brother John I, Duke of Alençon was killed at the Battle of AgincourtBattle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
against Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
. Catherine married in 1411 to the 30 year old Peter of Évreux, Count of Mortain. Peter was a brother of Charles III of Navarre
Charles III of Navarre
Charles III , called the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1387 to his death and Count of Évreux from 1387 to 1404, when he exchanged it for the title Duke of Nemours...
. After only one year of marriage, Peter died, the marriage produced no children.
One year after Peter's death, Catherine was betrothed again to Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria
Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis VII of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt from 1413 until 1443. He was a son of Stephen III and Taddea Visconti.-Biography:...
, brother of Isabeau, Queen of France
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
. The wedding, however, had to be postponed, as Catherine's future husband was taken prisoner. The wedding took place on Louis' release in early October 1413. Catherine's Dowry covered not only the county of Mortain, 60,000 francs but it also created connections between Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and France.
Louis travelled in early 1415 as head of the French embassy to the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
. Catherine's husband gave the County of Mortain, from Catherine's dowry to John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
, to free his wife, during the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War
Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War
The Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War was a French civil war between the Armagnac and Burgundian factions from 1407 to 1435 AD. It occurred while France was already being ravaged by the Hundred Years' War against the English and the wars surrounding the Western Schism of the papacy.-Causes:The war's...
in 1417, she had been taken prisoner by Bernard VII of Armagnac and did not care for their financial supply.
Catherine lost all of their income by Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
's successful invasion. Henry took the county of Mortain and occupied their heritages in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. Even precious utensils, documents and account books were taken by the English. Help finally came not from her husband, but from the English king, who made an agreement with the French King, the Treaty of Troyes
Treaty of Troyes
The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the throne of France upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt...
, which gave Catherine 2000 francs per year as compensation for her losses. In 1421 Catherine even travelled to England, as lady-in-waiting to the wife of the King Henry, Catherine of Valois
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of France was the Queen consort of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England, mother of Henry VI, King of England and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor, the grandmother of...
, who was Catherine's niece. Catherine even assisted in the birth of their child, Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
.
Catherine's second husband, Louis died on 1 May 1447 at Burghausen
Burghausen
Burghausen may refer to several places in Germany:*Burghausen, Altötting, a town in southeastern Bavaria*Burghausen bei Münnerstadt, part of Münnerstadt in northern Bavaria*Burghausen bei Freising, part of Kirchdorf an der Amper in central Bavaria...
.
Catherine joined the household of her sister-in-law, Isabeau. Catherine died 1462 in Paris and was buried in the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. She is now buried next to her first husband, Peter.
Children
Louis and Catherine had two children:- John of Bavaria (b. 6 February 1415), died young
- unnamed daughter, died young
Catherine left no surviving children.
Ancestry
Literature
- Claudia Märtl: Frankreich. Herzog Ludwig VII. von Bayern-Ingolstadt (1368–1447) und seine Schwester Isabeau am französischen Königshof. In: Alois Schmid, Katharina Weigand (eds.): Bayern mitten in Europa. Vom Frühmittelalter bis ins 20. Jahrhundert. C. H. Beck, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-52898-8, P. 107-120, especially p. 116-117.
- Beatrix Schönewald: Die Herzoginnen von Bayern-Ingolstadt. In: Sammelblatt des Historischen Vereins Ingolstadt. Volume 113, 2004, p. 35-54, especially p. 48-52.
- Theodor Straub: Bayern im Zeichen der Teilungen und Teilherzogtümer. In: Max Spindler, Andreas Kraus (eds.): Handbuch der bayerischen Geschichte. 2nd edition. Vol. 2, C. H. Beck, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-406-32320-0, p. 196-287, especially p. 245.
- Theodor Straub: Die fünf Ingolstädter Herzoginnen. In: Bayern-Ingolstadt, Bayern-Landshut. 1392–1506. Glanz und Elend einer Teilung. Stadtarchiv Ingolstadt 1992, ISBN 3-932113-06-3, P. 43-50, especially p. 47-49.